Matter Regulations
by daisyeatsapples
Summary: AU First Contact War. An Alliance mission to recover an abandoned Turian transmitter turns sour when the squadron is set upon by Batarian Pirates. Things only get worse when the Turians themselves turn up. The Turians and Humans find themselves in a stalemate, exhausted and unwilling to back down. Two soldiers depend on each other to make it through. (Shakarian)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Mass effect fanfiction, and after reading a lot (trust me, A LOT) I started coming up with ideas of my own. Somewhat of a love triangle, I'm still going to label this as Shakarian. In this story, the first contact war has lasted about a year rather than three months. Also, the military terms I am using are based on the British way its organised because I am already very familiar with the terms and logistics. The moon they are on isn't named or mentioned where it is located yet because my brain hurts trying to figure it out. I may put it in eventually if i come up with something, but until then, just go with it! **

Shepherd

The mission that was only supposed to last a month had ended up lasting four. The mild and tolerable weather had soon enough begun its transition into autumn, and that's when the rain came. It made the ground thick with grey mud, the clay like earth clinging to the boots of Cpl Shepherd. She was sick of the rain, but even more so sick of the mud. With the bayonet fixed to the end of her rifle, she expertly starting carving away thick swathes and clods of mud off, until her feet no longer felt like led weights that held in all the damp and cold. She wiped her nose with her hand, a grey smear streaking across her face that caused her to huff with exasperation, but she long gave up trying to clean it off.

She looked up when the private next to her sniggered at her new mud moustache and she frowned, elbowing him in the ribs. He staggered over from his squatting position, having to brace himself against the ground with his hand. He exclaimed in disgust as it sank into the ground.

"Serves you right Alenko" Shepherd said with a smug smile.

"Well, I suppose it's worth it to see you smile Shep. I'm tired of your face looking like a slapped ass." He grinned at her and wiped his hand down the front of his jacket. Shepherd glanced at him and rolled her eyes.

The two human soldiers were squatting next to a small fire. It sat in a half cut barrel, the metal long blackened and rusted. Carefully, Shepherd leaned her rifle up against the barrier behind her so that she could prise her gloves of her clammy fingers. She stuffed them into the front of her parka and cracked her knuckles. Stretching out the cold digits over the fire, she sighed, shoulders sagging. Alenko glanced over at his friend. She looked so tired and worn out. If he wasn't trying to keep a positive attitude he would say she looked half dead, but he tried to push thoughts of death from his mind. Her cheeks looked more sunken than he remembered and what used to be a halo of fire about her head, hung damp and limp, sticking to her cheeks and brow. Almost as if she knew he was thinking about it, Shepherd pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes, another grey smear joining the other, making her flesh look even deader. She sniffed unceremoniously and cracked her neck side to side, still rubbing her hands together over the fire in attempts to get some heat back into them.

The temperature seemed to be dropping lower and lower each day along with the morale of the Alliance Galactic Reconnaissance Corps. They were only sent here to investigate some abandoned Turian satellite transmitter. Soon after landing they realised why it was abandoned, the dense fog and rain along with the marshy terrain made working with any machinery or technology nigh on impossible. A lot of the tech they were sent to retrieve was half buried or caked in layers of earth. They managed to dig the majority out before the Batarian pirates showed up. With the element of surprise the AGRC were cornered but only took minor casualties, managing to keep the pirates at bay. It was expected that someone else would want to loot this moon. However without their hard armour suits a few gunshot wounds were sustained. The protective yet heavy gear was left in favour of the warmer, more comfortable and easier to dig in cold fatigues. This consisted of soft clothing as opposed to the moulded carbon fibre armour.

When the Turians showed up however, the squad regretted not weighing all the risks. However, upon the first few contacts it was noted that the Turians had made the same equipment error, and also lacked the necessary protective gear. Numerous Gods and spirits were thanked on both sides as the odds began to even out. Despite the Turians being naturally armoured, it was common knowledge amongst the humans that they could not defend against gunshots and shrapnel.

Each side held up on either side of a clear expanse that was little more than broken down crafts and vehicles, all submerged in the grey marsh that seemed to encompass the majority of the moon. The expanse of muddy land reminded Shepherd of the History vids they used to watch in school. A few shots were sometimes fired, but a major contact had not occurred since the Turians arrived. However as time dragged on it was more than apparent that they were planning one last push, it was against their nature not to. So now all the AGRC could do was wait, and hope that they can live long enough to push through to the shuttle located behind the Turian positions.

Alenko held out a shabby looking packet in shepherd's direction.

"It's the last one," he explained as he offered the cigarette. When she made no move to grab it he shook the packet a bit, the little paper cylinder rattling on its own. She shook her head and smiled.

"You have it," She said, smiling faintly "I haven't smoked since basic, you know that."

"I just thought it might calm your nerves, or at least remind of you some good times." Kaiden grinned and pulled it out of the packet, holding it up to his mouth he lit it and took a long drag, sighing out wisps and tendrils of smokes through his mouth and nose.

"Damn," he muttered, smoke still lacing his words "I need a steak to go with this,"

The sudden admission caused a guffaw from Shepherd, who had returned her hands to her gloves.

"A nice thick cut," He continued "red in the middle, I like it bloody…" He laughed and took another drag on his cigarette "Damn Shepherd we haven't had real meat in four months! What do you think Turian tastes like?" He peered over her, cigarette hanging from his lips that were curled into a smile.

Shepherd couldn't help but laugh as she leaned over and plucked the cigarette from his mouth. She took a puff, unable to stop a small cough join her sniggering as her lungs had been smoke free for so long. She appreciated Kaiden in a way she could not describe. Despite their apparent shitty situation he never failed to make her smile and remind her that she was not some earth caked golem, but a human like him and that together they could work their way out of anything. Nothing he said was monumentally meaningful, but in its own way was worth more.

"If you keep talking about food Kaiden, I'm going to make you eat my fist" He chuckled at her threat and she sighed out another laugh. After a few moments of silence she passed back the cigarette, merely a stub of embers now but she wanted him to finish it off. He plucked it carefully from her with his gloved hands, being mindful not to crush it. He inhaled the last of the smoke and nicotine and stubbed it out against the butt of his rifle.

" Well, when we get back to Earth," He said slowly "How about we get something to eat?" Shepherd groaned and nodded.

"Trust me Kaiden, that's my plan. Food, shower and drink are pretty high on my 'to do' list right now." She said. She looked over to him and he glanced away, looking at the ground intently for a moment.

"Ah well, what I meant Shep…" He started hesitantly "Get some food with me. Out. Together. Somewhere…" He let the sentence fade on his lips as he looked back up at Shepherd. She smiled and shrugged.

"I'm up for that." She said "As long as you are paying private." Kaidens eyes lit up as he grinned, nodding.

"Wouldn't dream of making a _lady_ pay" He said, smiling coyly. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised and a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Careful now, we know what the Turians do to liars," She grinned and stood. "Come on Kaiden, its our turn to do the perimeter check." She shouldered her rifle and lifted her helmet off the ground, plonking it on her head. "This is Cpl Shepherd and Pvt Alenko," She spoke into the com "Ready for 1900 perimeter check over." A crackling voice responded and she set off, trudging through the sodden ground.

Kaiden took a brief moment to take a last look at the fire, the orange glow reflecting on his face as the skies grew darker. He had significantly warmed up in the last few minutes, and not only because of the fire. He sighed and stood, hurrying to catch up to Shepherd. Well, he had to get back to earth now.

**A/N: That was fun! It's amazing how a story moulds and changes as you begin to write it. I look forward to working on the next chapter, hopefully somebody else is looking forward to reading it. Please review and comment!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay so i figured i should of stuck this in chapter one, so ill just pretend its a mini chapter or something. I also realised i spelt Kaidan and Sheperds names wrong in the previous chapter. My bad. **

Chapter Two

Sheperd tapped the toe of her boot against the tall metal panel. It made a dull clanging sound as her foot came into contact with it but did not shift or budge from its position. She nodded and moved to another part of the panel. These make-shift walls provided essential cover and being at least 7' tall meant you didn't have to sit in the mud to protect yourself. The soft ground meant some of them started to lean, but most were lodged quite deeply and firmly to the ground. Reaching the end of the row of panels she unshouldered her rifle and slowly leant around the side. The night was made darker by the dense fog that had descended, and she couldn't even make out the dots of fires like she could on clearer nights. She drew back and leaned against the metal wall. Her parka collar was pulled up close around her neck, the thick padding and lining keeping the chill away from her neck and cheeks. Her breath hung around her mouth as she exhaled. The stillness and quiet of the night was broken when Kaidan leaned up next to her and spoke.

"It's dark tonight." He noted quietly, speaking low so he didn't disturb the other soldiers sleeping and slumped up against crates and make shift walls. He wanted so much to sleep too, as well as a longing to be dry and warm and full.

"I have a bad feeling," Shepherd muttered. Frowning, she glanced back round the wall again for a moment "It's this quiet, it makes me uneasy."

They had been patrolling the perimeter for about four hours now, slogging through the wet and thick ground that only made their progress slower and both knew they were in for a long night. Kaidan was exhausted, Shepherd could tell. His back slowly slid down the panel until he was sat on the ground. He unshouldered his rifle and moved it to rest in his lap as he pushed his head back against the wall, breathing in long slow breaths of night air that were followed by clouds of breath. He closed his eyes and sighed happily when the burning sensation of keeping them open began to ease.

"Just let me take five minutes…" He muttered. Shepherd huffed but made no move to stop him. She could spare him a moment to relax. It had been weeks since any attempt was made to breach their lines by the Turians, the inevitability of a final push hung heavy on everyone's shoulders, but the sheer wait and anticipation had begun to take its toll as exhaustion began to set in. She could only figure that the opposition were having similar problems hence the delay.

She decided to continue alone, doing her fourth loop of the camp by now. She would wake Kaidan up when she eventually got back round to him. Roughly a hundred yards down the line she began to check another perimeter wall that looked slightly dodgy. Tapping it with her foot it budged slightly and she frowned. It was dark so she used a torch on the end of her rifle to check out the base of the panel, seeing if the mud had washed or worn away in order for the decreased stability. The inside seemed okay so she determined the problem had to be on the other side. She carefully leaned around, making sure to not point her torch out into the fog in case she gave away her position. The Turians had some damned good snipers, a fact she hated to admit.

As she slowly scanned the ground with her torch, she could see how the earth had been pulled away. Huge gashes and claw marks could be seen in the ground that sliced through the clay, like a huge dog had been digging against the panel. Sheperd quickly pulled back behind the cover and swore under her breath. Her feeling of dread returned as she spoke into the com as calmly as she could. She had checked every perimeter on her previous sweep a little than an hour ago, surely she would have noticed this?

"This is Cpl Sheperd. I have evidence of a potential Turian push located at the seventh point along the front line wall, possible sabotage over." The com crackled into life as a voice on the other end responded.

"Copy that Cpl. What is your visual over?"

"Some of the perimeter walls have been dislodged, signs of digging. Not sure what it means…" She let her sentence trail off as she shot her eyes over to the gloom almost on instinct. "I see movement." She lifted her rifle and pressed the butt against her shoulder, pointing the weapon into the gloom as she carefully made her way behind a large metal crate. Resting her rifle on the top, she stared into the darkness, and she saw it again. Just a smudge of movement was enough to confirm her suspicions. It was time.

"Cpl what is your situation over?" The com urged.

Before she could respond, a piercing shriek erupted from the skies, lighting up the fog and clouds with a great blue burst. Tendrils of electricity snaked into the air as the flare illuminated the human camp for all but a few moments. A few soldiers were alert on their feet, scrambling around for their rifles, slipping over in the mud and clay in desperate attempts to ready themselves. Loud mortar rounds were fired in quick succession, arching into the sky as they came hurtling down toward the camp. Sheperd could do nothing but cover her head and brace for the impact, booms making the ground beneath her shudder as they hit the ground with force.

Luckily she was unscathed as she launched to her feet, sprinting as fast as she could back the way she came. More rounds were falling around her as shouts and screams could be heard from the human party. Rifles sputtered into life as they unloaded their rounds, feeding the shots into the darkness in blind panic.

She stumbled slightly as the suction from the wet earth pulled on her boot. Crying out she tried to brace her fall, but the soft ground cushioned her and heaving herself to her feet she picked up her rifle and pushed on. She could see the small fire she had left Alenko at, and sighed in relief when she saw him crouched behind some cover, flinching as a round came a bit too close for comfort.

"Sheperd!" He screamed, but the sound was cut short as a large explosion pushed her from her feet.

For a moment, she was sailing through the air, sheer blinding heat pushing at her back as she was launched forwards from an explosion. The last things she remembered was Kaidans wide eyes, the colour of fire, and her own single heartbeat.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The dull and heavy sounds of explosions thudded through the ground, the vibrations from the earth almost gentle and calming. The shudders rocked themselves through the very core of Sheperd. She smiled absently, the familiar feeling reminding her of the hum a star ship engine made, the way she would lean against a wall in the engine bay when she was stressed. The smile lingered and she attempted to roll onto her back. Groaning with the effort she felt the wet ground slide beneath her as it gave way in slick piles to her weight. The cold earth slid against her cheek, sending a chill of reality through her as her senses returned, blurred vision focusing. The sky was dark, absorbing the flickering orange lights that surrounded her.

As hee shoulder blades shifted, she cried out in pain. Her skin felt taught and loose at the same time, and a harsh burning sensation made her gasp in lungful's of charred air. As realisation settled in, she figured that the explosion must have burnt her back pretty badly for movement to be painful. With a loud cry she mustered her strength and pushed herself from the ground until she was on her hands and knees in the mud, groping as she searched for her assault rifle but all she could find was cold, wet earth. A loud crash to the right startled Sheperd and she instinctively rolled to avoid the explosion that threw flaming debris in her direction. The mistake of allowing her back to come into contact with the ground ripped a scream from her throat as she arched her spine to remove it, the heels of her boots writhing and slipping. Unable to stop the tears of pain streaming down her cheeks she knotted her brow with determination and pushed herself to her feet.

"Kaidan!" She shouted, frantically searching the destruction for her friend. The perimeter was devoid of any movement, or life for that matter. She didn't notice at first, because the bodies were the same colour as the ground. Humans and Turians were strewn about the edge of the camp, red and blue mingling with the mud. Earth and corpses were indistinguishable as the rain began to fall.

Sheperd allowed the tears to freely fall down her cheeks as she ran to the nearest body. Pushing it over she wiped the mud from its face only to find eyes that did not belong to Kaidan. Despite the searing pain in her back and limbs, she continued the search until the noise of engines and shouts of troopers brought her from her panic.

The rain washed the dirt from her face and soothed her back somewhat, allowing her a few moments of clarity to assess the situation. She could not find Kaidans body, so that meant he was not there. She could only hope that also meant he was alive. There were Turians coming towards her, and she had no weapon. As the balance of fight or flight began to shift inside her, she had to make a decision. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground and lay her body flat against the earth. She was in no state to run or fight, so she decided that playing dead seemed her best option. Laying her head to the side she closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, hoping that the padding of her clothes would hide any rise and fall.

Listening intently, she heard the troopers step around the bodies that littered the encampment. She estimated their numbers at around six. One spoke orders to the other in a low pitch that was nearly a growl, the alien words were accented with clicks and hums. They paid no mind the corpses as they made their sweep across the area. Sheperd dared to open one of her eyes just to catch a glimpse, because she had never seen one this close. Just as her eyelid slowly rose, a heavy boot crashed next to her face, nearly making her jump but the Turian failed to notice. She stared at its feet. What she assumed were its toes were long and pointed, and it only had two. The heel did not touch the ground, as though it was on tip toes, rolling the ball of its foot to continue on, stepping away from her. She could tell by the way the way the Turian moved and the depth of its footprint that these creatures were physically formidable.

The party moved behind her and continued on, making Sheperd breathe a sigh of relief as she went unnoticed. Shifting her head very slightly, she looked to see where the Turians had come from but only saw the darkness of the night and the debris of the battlefield. As she silently weighed her options, a tiny glint caught her eye. It was a grenade. Her eyes widen as the details of an idea started to slip into her mind and a she couldn't help but let a tiny grin pass her lips.

She could still hear the Turians behind her as she slowly began her commando crawl towards the grenade. She was feeling desperate, and prayed to her god that the pin was intact. After all, she had big plans to fuck up some Turians day.

When she was in arm's length of the device, she reached out with gloved hands to grab it. The thick mud and rain made her fingers slippery so she risked a few more inches of ground until the grenade was in her hand, a strange manic giggle escaping her lips as she looked at the little plastic pull ring holding the pin in place. Sheperd very gradually moved herself into a position that resembled a sprinter on a race track. By now she judged that the Turians were at least ten metres behind her.

Her teeth pulled the pin. She hurled it in the direction of the Turians. She ran.

She heard the explosion and the barks of surprise as she was running as fast as she physically could towards the darkness. Even if the grenade didn't hit, she hoped it provided ample distraction for her escape. The ground was uneven and wet, and she found it difficult to make purchase at times, stumbling blindly as her back screamed in pain and her limbs ached in agony. She bit down a cry as she pushed on, not willing herself to look behind her for potential pursuers.

As she reached the clear expanse of land that stretched between the human position and the Turians, she choked out a sob of relief when she realised she was not followed. Her chest heaved with the efforts of her laborious breathing as she pushed on, determined to get away from the carnage. She was unsure of what exactly it was she was doing, but her instincts told her to pick a direction and go with it.

All feelings of accomplishment and freedom that bubbled their way up were cut short. Something caught Sheperds foot. Metal bit her leg. She went down, plummeting towards the ground, holding her arms up to shield her face and cushion the landing. It felt like she had fallen into a thorn bush as barbs poked and scratched at her face. She squinted her eyes shut and thrashed in attempts to get away from the malicious plant. The more she moved, the more the pricks began to dig their way into her flesh, even through the thick padding of her parka and combats. She shrieked as it pierced her skin, vice like iron tendrils wrapping its way around her legs and wrists as she heaved her limbs in attempts to free herself. All was futile though and the exhaustion of her escape plunged her from panic into despair. She was trapped, and it was too dark to even tell what was even going on.

Gritting her teeth she lay for a moment, and everything stopped tightening and burrowing. The pressure didn't lessen but she figured that the more she moved, the worse the situation became. As that realisation crossed her mind, everything started to click into a place.

_This isn't a thorn bush_ she thought. _This is barbed wire._

She had completely forgot about the coils of what looked like plastic tubing presumably left by the Turians. Upon closer inspection and an unfortunate accident, it was found out these tubes were a formidable defence against organics. When contact is made with something moving, long needle like thorns would dig into the flesh of whatever had touched them, the barbed ends burrowing their way in and effectively and painfully immobilising any creature. For a while they considered the wire too inhumane, until they were told by their commander that it was only inhumane against humans. Sheperd still found the weapon disgusting, but orders were orders.

Sheperd was exhausted, crippled by pain and unable to move. She groaned as the agony wracked her body and choked out a strained sob as she lay motionless, hope washing away with the rain.

**A/N: Next chapter will feature Garrus. Hold onto your pants ladies! Got any questions? go ahead and ask! please leave a review too**


	4. Chapter 4

Vakarian

About an hour had passed since the Turian squad rushed the human lines, the dense and endless fog provided the perfect cover for the surprise attack. Weakening the metal barriers by digging away the supportive ground and planting explosives punched a hole through their defences, shattering morale and sending the humans running. A retreat was hastily organized and they fell back towards the quarry.

Garrus Vakarian was kneeling down next to the Tyrus, attempting to heave mud out of a wheel arch. His arms strained as he tried to lever the dirt with a pick, cracking off only small clods at a time. He sighed angrily and threw the tool on the ground. It splashed into a puddle, sending scatters of mud and water all over his thermal suit and visor. In a fit of frustration he kicked the side of the Tyrus and dull metal clang rang out through the mist. Drawing the night air into his lungs he clenched and unclenched his fists, letting the cold drops of rain hit his face. Garrus was sick to death of this place.

"Leave it Vakarian" Decius said next to him, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder "We need to cover a final sweep of the area."

Garrus nodded and unhooked his rifle from the side of the vehicle. "Please spirits give me something to shoot." He whispered under his breath.

A small team made their way to the site where they had initial contact with the Human squad. All was fire and mud, the corpses of humans and the odd Turian scattered the field as rain washed away the blood. Garrus moved heavily through the area, holding his rifle low and skimming with his eyes briefly. Rolling out his shoulders he resisted the urge to nudge one of the corpses by his feet, lying face down in the mud. He took a second to look at it, tilting his head with morbid curiosity. The hood of its jacket had been pulled back to reveal its head, but all he could see was its blood soaked hair.

_Like fire. _He mused.

The urge to touch the 'hair' was difficult, but not wanting to linger and fall behind, he turned away from the body and continued his patrol. Every so often he would check one of the fallen Turians vital signs but his hand always found cold flesh and came away bloody. He could hear Decius on his com.

"This is Lieutenant Decius, area is clear. No survivors." With a flick of his head he motioned for Garrus to follow and move on into the encampment. He stood from the dead Turian he was at.

Decius' steps were cut short by a loud bang that caused Garrus to stumble back, dropping his rifle to shield his face from the explosion that hurled a spray of mud into his face. Slightly dazed and surprised he looked up, searching for his troop.

"Decius!" He shouted, but no answers came. As his night vision started to return after the sudden flash, nobody was standing.

Scrambling to his feet, Garrus clawed at the earth as he gained his footing to run over to where his squad-mates were. Shrapnel peppered body's lay motionless, blood seeping out into the rain. He knelt by Decius and tried to feel for a pulse in the soft of his neck but the warmth ebbed away into the ground. Blue smears coated his own fringe as he ran his hand over the spines, not quite able to calculate in his mind what had happened. With a frustrated growl he got to his feet, grabbing Decius' rifle. He held onto the grip a little too tightly as he held it up, training the barrel in a slow arc to scan the area for his attacker. Nothing moved saved for the water falling from the sky. He lowered the weapon and shouldered it, rain rolling down his face.

* * *

It was nearly an hour by the time he had lined up the bodies of his fallen comrades, each laying peacefully on the ground, eyes closed and mandibles slack. It was by most standards unnecessary, he should be finding a working coms unit and finding the rest of his squad, but it felt right. He made a small prayer to the spirits before picking up his rifle and turning away.

Death was something Garrus had refused to become numb to, the sudden war with the humans was climactic and unrelenting, causing thousands of casualties on both sides within days. Over a year later, and each species had begun to feel the effects of exhaustion.

He decided to head back towards his vehicle, hoping that the coms unit was still working for him to get a long distance message to the forward Turian lines, now miles away as they closed in on the remaining humans. The cold numbness he felt in his soul coupled with the similar feeling in his feet made it a long and arduous journey back, retracing the steps he had taken earlier with much less fervour than before.

The rain felt heavier as it battered down on him, big fat drops of water rolling off his jacket and hood. He pulled it tight around himself and slogged on, trailing his tired legs through the mud that sucked and drew him back, weighing his feet down as it clung to his boots. The sensation felt like the ground was begging him to stop, to rest and sit. _Lie down_ it said _Lie and be still_ and the overwhelming desire to let it envelope and cradle him into sleep was lapping at his mind.

He continued in this way for what felt like an age, but judging from the fires he could still see in the distance behind him, he was barely half way to where the Tyrus was.

Garrus head an odd rustling, and a choke of a sob that made him stop dead. Darting his head up, he lowered his shoulders and peered into the darkness.

_Can I hear something… crying? _He asked himself, unsure if the hum of rainfall was playing tricks. Opening his mouth an inch his mandibles slackened as he inhaled the night air. Water and earth was all his body was telling him before he heard the sound again, and pulled his feet through the mud as fast as it would allow him. The sharp tang of blood hit his nostrils as shapes began to form in front of him. A mass of tendrils and coils were stretched out, matted in the ground, and amongst it was a dark mass, a pained grunt of life affirming it was very much alive.

A grin was probably not the best expression when confronted with this situation, but he couldn't help the joy he felt at finding someone alive in this waste.

"Don't move," he said slowly trying to calm down the writhing trooper "It will only hurt worse." Getting onto his knees, he reached inside his jacket for wire cutters. Holding the tool in his teeth he then rummaged about his person for the flash light attachment to his rifle, not wanting to put anything down in the dirt for fear of losing it. He found the fitting and clipped it onto his sight. Holding the rifle up, he assessed the state of the trapped trooper, but it was human.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So my fic has had 1000 views, which makes me super happy! I'm really glad this is actually being read. Please PM me with any ideas or questions, I'd like to know where people expect or would like this to go, because in all honesty I'm improvising here. I know a basic outline of what i want but im literally making it up as I go. It's become a great outlet, so any suggestions are welcome. Also, my updates are intermittent at best, my university course is pretty full on so I'm busy a lot (sorry!) **

**Anway, enjoy, comment and review~**

Garrus

The rain had continued its downpour the entire night, assaulting the ground in a shower of droplets that created great puddles and streams of water. A constant din hung in the air and wet clouds of breath clung to Garrus' mouth as he slumped against the wall of an old gun position. The thick concrete allowed for shelter, though it wasn't a great deal dryer.

It had taken a while to cut the human from the wire. Eventually passing out from blood loss, he cut the metal strands that clung to its legs and arms, noticing it was also burned very badly. Carrying it back was the hard part. He managed to lift it onto his shoulder, surprised by how little the human weighed. The mud made it harder yet and their combined weight caused his foot to occasionally get stuck in the mud as he slogged his slow way towards any form of shelter. Finding the gun position was a blessing and Garrus thanked the spirits of this miserable place for offering him a small piece of sanctuary.

He lay the human onto the floor as gently as he could and checked for signs of life, and finding a faint pulse he sigh and fell back on his heels to sit.

"What am I doing?" He thought aloud, pushing his brow into his hand.

The thought of leaving it to struggle and bleed to death had made him feel sick, but he was unsure of what had possessed him to cut it free and carry it to safety. Some kind of twisted sense of Turian duty? An overwhelming sense of pity? He couldn't quite figure it out, but whatever it was it didn't feel… wrong.

Pushing his turbulent feelings aside he knelt before the still unconscious human. For a moment he just stared, dumbfounded by the alien form in front of him. He slowly reached out a hand but flinched away before his fingers brushed the red strands.

_Like blood_. He lingered on the familiar thought before remembering the dead human in the mud. Unlike Turians who bled blue, humans bled red. He found it curious at first but soon saw enough of it for the novelty to wear off. However he had always found the strands that grew from their heads odd and the desire to touch it took over and he removed his glove.

With a single digit he pushed it aside, feeling how it parted and clumped together. He pulled his claw away and looked at it, surprised it wasn't bloody, just wet.

_Not blood then? _He thought as he rubbed the pad of his finger against his thumb, feeling the moisture slowly ebb away. Tilting his head he looked at is face, now revealed in the low light as morning broke. It was dirty and wet, strange lines of hair above the eyes were matted with mud and the soft flesh looked painted. Its mouth was parted and breathing weakly. He had never seen one so close, surprised at how very un-dangerous it looked, blunted teeth and thin skin was not a great deal of defence.

A pained groan startled him from his thoughts as the humans face contorted and wrinkled. He drew his mandibles tight upon seeing the expression and a soft quiet rumble emitted from his chest. Thankfully it didn't wake, spurring Garrus to set about treating its wounds. He was no medical expert, but he knew the basics and a good supply of medi-gel.

Carefully, he held its arm up and inspected the wire that gripped it. With his cutters, he slowly snipped the metal away, pulling it free. Unfortunately, due to its torturous nature, many of the barbs remained in the flesh. He repeated this with its other limbs until there was no more visible wire. He piled it next to him and set down the cutters.

Leaning over the prone form, he swallowed air and gently gripped its clothes, finding the fastening that would allow him access. Pulling the zip down, he gently freed the human of the sodden jacket, pushing it off its shoulders and arms with slow and careful movements. He let out a groan as he was met with more layers but eventually made his way through them, each getting dryer than the last, but the blood patches getting bigger and bigger. As he stripped the human, he realised how small the thing actually was, at least a foot and a half shorter than himself. When he had removed its gloves, the five fingered limb possessed no claws, only small, stubby, hardened plates tipped each digit. Humans were looking less and less formidable.

Peeling back the final layers, wafts of alien body odour assaulted his nose and he grimaced, the odd scent making him feel ill. This human stank. Battling past the odour he removed the underclothes to reveal its soft pink – albeit smelly – form. Turians were not commonly known to be embarrassed or shy about their nudity, but the prone form of this alien did warrant some curiosity. So pale and fragile, a finger brushed against its skin, feeling how soft it was. More of the strands covered certain parts of its body, some were wisps, barely noticeably while… other areas were coarser and thicker. Soft breasts rose from its chest, much like an asari's, so he figured that this one was a female.

He removed the chain that had two metal tags hanging from them. He studied them in the dim light, and saw that words had been printed into them. He would need his omni tool to scan them later, but for now he stuffed them into his pocket.

Not wanting her to lose too much body heat, he tore his eyes away and picked up his wire cutters again. Using the end gently, he drew out each of the needle like barbs from her arms and legs, little red streams trickling over the white flesh. He applied medi-gel and bandaged the limbs.

Garrus rolled her onto her front, careful to lay her head to the side so she could breathe. He gently removed the burnt fragments of fabric that clung to the wound in places on her back, using some swabs in his field dressing kit. Generous amounts of medi-gel were applied before he awkwardly wrapped a bandage around it, having to lean her against his shoulder as he wound the fabric around the torso.

The humans scent was still strong so he decided to redress her, gently applying each layer. Her breathing had slowed and lacked the strains it did before, meaning the medi-gel was working.

Garrus shifted uneasily as she watched her sleep, trying to decide his next move. He wasn't sure what to do with the human now. Leave her and find the rest of his unit? She'd likely freeze or starve. He couldn't take her with him, it was absurd. It felt dangerous enough just sitting next to her, although he knew they were alone. But he couldn't leave her. Perhaps it was because he was sick of this war, had killed so many and sought some odd redemption in saving just one human. But then again hadn't so many humans killed Turians? Like his squad? Merely hours ago men he knew and worked beside were torn apart by a human land mine. What did he owe this race of soft, pink aliens? Nothing.

He growled low in his throat, glancing over at the human.

"You owe _me" _He muttered. Wriggling into a more comfortable position, he rested his cowl against the wall and shut his eyes. "You owe me…" He repeated, before drifting off into a deep and dark sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Sheperd

A dark haired boy smiled at her, and Sheperd smiled back. She was standing in a line, nervous faces darting their eyes at one another in the morning's early mist. She counted the footsteps of boots that approached her. They asked for her name.

"Sheperd!" Kaidan shouted. She looked up from her food and waved him over. He was grinning wide and shook his head, beckoning her to follow him instead. The crack of a gunshot made her turn.

"Pay attention Alenko!" The sergeant barked "I aim better when I piss!" It was her fault, she was making faces.

Water hit her cheeks and she sighed, cooling her skin. She pulled off her jacket and boots, throwing them into the crew shelter. She stood in the open, breathing in the smell of wet dust. Kaidan shouted something at her.

"What?" she asked. He was screaming at her. Tears ran down his face. Or was it rain?

"Kaidan you're burning!" She yelled. But he just stood there. He wouldn't stop screaming.

"Kaiden!"

Sheperd woke with a thunderous jolt, gulping in lungful's of air that only made her cough and choke. Sitting up with a lurch, she clutched at her throat until her breathing evened out. Shivering she pushed her palms against her eye sockets, only to pull them back and realise they were bandaged. Looking slowly around, her vision focused on her surroundings and she found herself in what looked like an old concrete gun position. She was lying on the floor, but there were layers of old jackets beneath her. Crates were stacked up against a window and a small metal fuel burner emitted gentle wafts of heat from the centre of the room, surrounded by boxes and packets of rations. Some had been opened and eaten.

Looking down at her hands, she slowly turned them, flexing her fingers gently. The bandages went all the way to her elbow and she could feel the constriction of more dressings surrounding her legs. She sat quiet for a moment as the memories of the attack came trickling back. The Turian ambush, the explosion behind her and Kaidan… Then the wire. Her wounds throbbed, but were not as painful as she remembered when they were inflicted.

Sheperd sniffed and pushed her hair back. Whoever it was that pulled her out of the wire wasn't here, the only sound filling the air came from the dull drumming of the rain, and the slow burn of fuel cubes coming from the fire. It was still cold, but bearable.

She wasn't sure if it was daytime, everything appeared grey and the crates against the window seemed to block out what little light there was. She felt rested though, and assumed that she had been asleep for a long while, pangs of hunger assaulting her gut. Carefully she pushed back the coats and jackets that were covering her, wincing as she moved her legs. A stab of pain across her back made her suck in cold air as she flexed her shoulders and she grunted, moving slowly as she shuffled off her make-shift bed and towards the fuel burner.

Reaching out she grabbed one of the closest packets, what appeared to be some kind of energy bar wrapped in silver foil. There was no writing on it to indicate what was inside. With a shrug she tore it open and took a bite.

She gagged and spluttered. The thing tasted foul. It was salty and bitter, with a nasty metallic twang. She figured it was one of those energy bars Kaidan used to love so much, he always asked to trade hers for something. She always obliged because it always made him happy. Gulping down a mouthful she looked at the energy bar. Flinging it to the side, Sheperd decided there was plenty in the pile to attempt something else, but the horrible taste lingered in her mouth and stuck in her teeth.

Grabbing a canteen of water that accompanied the food she unscrewed the cap and took long, deep gulps of the liquid. It was cold and felt like a kick in the gut, but it was so damn good. Sighing, she set down the empty canister with a thud and rummaged through some of the other packets, hoping for some beans or if she was lucky, some of that dehydrated fruit Kaidan would always swap with her, awaiting the return of her rescuer.

* * *

Garrus

When Garrus woke the human was still asleep. He watched her for a moment before leaning in to feel her pulse. Confirming she had lived through the night he rose to his feet and surveyed the room, deciding it would suffice until the human woke up. He tried not to dwell on what he would do when that moment came. Grabbing his rifle he made for the crude doorway cut out of the thick concrete, glancing back before stepping through into the eternal rain.

The abandoned human encampment that was ambushed earlier was but a thirty minute walk away from the gun position he was using as a shelter, and the distance felt a great deal shorter when he didn't have a human slung across his shoulder. Most of what remained were burnt bodies and crates, but a few boxes were left intact and contained basic supplies. Garrus thanked the spirits when he found a working fuel burner and a good supply of human rations. He stuffed them into a bergan before making his way into what looked like some kind of crude headquarters. More bodies lay strewn across the place, but the stench of rotting flesh also remained, not having the rain to wash it away. He wrinkled his nose, the small plates bunching up. All the coms terminals were damaged, likely sabotaged before the Turians came in so there was little to salvage. The dead body of a human was slumped over one of the terminals, still gripping a nice looking pistol. He prised it from the cold hand and turned it over, nodding before unloading it and stuffing it into his pocket. Sifting through the gear that remained in some lockers he came away with a few jackets, ammunition for the pistol, some more food and an entire container of distilled water. Knowing he wouldn't be able to carry anymore with his hands full and burgan stuffed, Garrus decided his little scavenger hunt was over as he walked his way back to the gun position satisfied with his finds.

He felt soaked to the bone by the time he returned but stopped short of the entrance to the concrete shelter. Unloading his goods, he unshouldered his rifle and quietly stepped into the small room. The human female lay still, a mass of grey and brown topped with a shock of red. He grabbed what he had left outside and hauled them in, setting them in a corner. A few crates were stacked haphazardly against a window and he peered into them. They were mostly empty save for a few thermal clips but Garrus was thankful for all the help he could get. He left them were they were, hoping they might provide some cover from the rain. What little light they blocked didn't matter when he got the fuel burner going.

Garrus would constantly glance over to the human while he set about lighting the burner, but she didn't move and inch. He had lain the dry jackets he found over her, finding not use for them himself, the tiny garments not even sufficing to cover his broad shoulders and cowl. He filled his canteen with the water he found, and pulled out his rations from a pocket inside his jacket. As he chewed on a protein bar he pondered his next move, his gaze lingering over the sleeping human.

He hoped it would be weak enough not to cause him any harm or be a danger, but still felt nervous when he thought about it waking up. If it woke up. He had tried to push his reasoning for saving her, but the moment of silence brought it bubbling to the surface of his mind, threatening to question his own judgement. He ripped off another bite with his teeth and chewed.

The noise of movement dragged him from his thoughts and his gaze instantly assaulted the human, but it lay there, no threat of wakening. He heard the noise again and stood. It was coming from outside. Grabbing his rifle he made for the exit, bracing his back against the cold wall so he could peer around the edge. He signed in relief, tension bleeding from his muscles as his mandibles slackened. He had not realised how on edge he was.

There was a large bird like creature pecking at something. It was scrawny, grey feathers clinging in clumps to its wings. It was prising the flesh off a dead Turian, the corpse half concealed by the wet earth. It pecked at the burnt plates of its back, prising away strips of rotten meat with its pointed beak. Garrus lowered his rifle and stalked towards the creature with a scowl on his face. He glared at the animal and tried to shoo it off the corpse. It cawed loudly at him, flapping its wings but refusing to give up the Turian. With a growl Garrus shot into the air, startling the bird into flight.

He stared down at the corpse and sighed, the rain pattering against it. Looking up at the endless grey sky, Garrus slung his rifle over his shoulder. With his mandibles drawn tight against his cheeks, he held his breath and bent down to grab the dead Turian under its arms. Trying hard not to breathe in its stench, he dragged it through the mud and into a ditch about 20 yards away. The gathered rain water covered it and Garrus nodded, hoping that the spirits would forgive him for such a crude burial, but it was better than letting the birds peck him to the bone. With a brief nod of respect, he made his way back to the shelter.

Upon stepping through the door, he brushed rain off his face with his sleeve but when he pulled it away, a red headed human was sitting at the burner.

His breath caught and he stopped. Garrus slowly lowered his hand into his pocket, grasping the pistol he had found earlier, a finger lingering over the trigger.

The human turned.


	7. Chapter 7

**So it has been a while (sorry) but this chapter is a bit bigger. I've started thinking more seriously about where i want this plot to go and i have already imagined up quite a few scenes i want to work into this! I can't wait. Please let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear your opinion.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Sheperd

Sheperd stretched out her stiff toes as life returned to them, the heat from the burner slowly but surely warming her. She had tried one or two of the rations, but found them all tasting shit. It felt like she had been waiting for hours, with no sign of her mystery savoir and the thought crossed her mind that perhaps they had left. If that was the case she had best move out and attempt to get to the human lines, but her limbs still felt numb from cold and pain so she decided to wait just a while longer. The chance to relax felt strange, and for a moment Sheperd forgot the current conflict beyond her concrete bubble and drifted off into a vacant reflection of the past few days. The basic instinct of needing to find Kaidan lingered in her mind as she absently chewed some kind of meat jerky. She didn't recognise the taste but it wasn't half bad. She made a few basic decisions to get out, find Kaidan and get of this rock. Sheperd felt satisfied that she had made some mental headway before looking at her physical impediments.

Her arms and legs were sore and throbbed with pain beneath her neatly wound bandages, but it was a slow and lingering pain that she was able to push to the back of her mind with enough distraction or determination. It was curious how it didn't hurt a great deal, as writhing in that barbed wire was agony. She figured she must have slept a long while for them to be healed so quickly, before realizing what that meant for her.

_Just how far am I behind my squad? _She thought. Being out cold for more than a day with nobody there when she woke up, it made sense that she had been left behind, forgotten. Was everyone killed in the attack? There was so much fire, all she could remember was blazing heat then shouting then pain and nothing. But Kaidan had screamed at her, screamed her name. Or was that a dream? Was he even alive?

_Of course he is alive Sheperd. He might even be the one who rescued you. _ The thought brought a blink of a smile to her lips.

As of on queue Sheperd heard the sound of feet behind her. But it wasn't Kaidans form staring down at her. Her mind went blank.

The Alien twitched.

Like a deer in the headlights they did little but stare at each other for a split second that felt like eternity. She tensed, and it noticed. Before it took another step into the room Sheperd had sprung up, launching herself towards the small box of a window on the far wall. The alien was huge, and armed. She had no hope in hell of taking it down bare handed and in her state. It barked some noises behind her but she was too busy hurling the crates away from the gap. The last slithers of light shone into the room as she tore the boxes down, falling to the ground at the alien's feet in a loud clatter and spilling their contents. She yelped as she reached for the outside world, fingernails scraping against the hard concrete as she scrambled her way through. Amidst the panic she found it strikingly odd she hadn't been shot yet and despite bracing herself for the familiar pain, the crack of a rifle never came. In this moment of hesitation she felt powerful arms encircle her waist and drag her back.

She screamed and writhed, kicking and flailing in all attempts to break free from the aliens hold. She was pulled from the window but a well landed fist to the aliens exposed neck made it drop her to the ground, where she spun and aimed another blow to its cheek. It landed with a crack and stunned the Turian for a moment, Sheperd grabbing the barrel of the rifle over its shoulder. She pulled but was met with equal force when it crashed its elbow into her windpipe. Sheperd fell back gasping and choking for air and in one swift movement it trained the weapon on her face and the two stood there breathing hard.

The calamity came to a standstill as Sheperd stared up at the Alien. She was gasping for air by this point but tried her best to calm her lungs and buzzing nerves. The Turians nostrils flared as its nose plates twitched. Narrowing its eyes she noticed its grip tighten on the rifle grips. Neither moved until the barrel end of the gun slowly lowered to the ground and the Turian stood up straighter, only making him taller as he stared down at Sheperd.

She watched him carefully as he did the same but she couldn't focus her eyes as the adrenaline rush wore off. She blinked hard and furrowed her brow as the aching throb of her limbs returned, ebbing its way slowly into her body. A nauseous feeling rose in her stomach to her throat. The Turian tilted its head and moved a hand towards her thinking the human might fall as she swayed on the spot. Sheperd groaned and clutched at her abdomen, but the rising sickness was too strong, and the foul tasting rations from earlier made a return as she vomited onto the floor and an angry aliens feet.

* * *

Garrus

After the human had passed out Garrus returned her to the make-shift bed of coats with a grim expression. He hadn't expected her to be so strong despite being so injured, and the sudden outburst had caught him off guard when he found her awake. He slumped down by the fire and used an old oily rag he found to clean off the humans bile from his boots. The smell was revolting and he resorted to walking through the mud outside for a while in attempts to wash it off, or at least cover it up. Upon examining the empty ration packets littered about the fire, he realised that the human had eaten his rations. Most were half eaten but she had consumed enough to make her consequently sick.

With a sigh he shook his head and frowned, gathering up the rations and stuffing them into large pockets in his combats. Pulling out a somewhat clean cloth, he soaked it in water from his canteen and proceeded to wipe the mud and grime from his face. He occasionally glanced over at the sleeping human while he methodically cleaned, wiping the cloth under his eyes and across his mandibles to reveal blue markings. He wiped the length of his fringe too before rinsing the cloth and putting it back into the inside of his jacket. With a clean face he felt clearer minded and sighed gently before deciding upon which dry and tasteless ration to eat as he sat and stared at the blue flicker of the fuel burner.

A groan beside him made him look down at where the human shifted in her sleep and he scanned her body with his Omni-tool. He glanced over the results and they looked a lot better than he first found her, and felt satisfied that she would recover.

A thought crossed him that communication would be an issue, so he flicked through some of the settings on the glowing orange device until he found the basic universal human language translator issued to all Turian military personnel. He activated it, scrolled passed all of the legal legislation and accepted the terms and conditions. He knew it would be a rudimentary form of communication, but the human's lack of anything Omni meant it would have to do. That's if she woke up without punching him in the mandible again. It still hurt.

Despite his waning energy he fought the urge to sleep. If the human woke up before him, who knows what would happen. He rested his brow in his palm and drifted off into slow contemplative thoughts, mulling over what would become of him and his new baggage.

A disturbance pulled him from his thoughts as quiet groans and the rustling of fabric made him turn towards where the human lay. She sat up and run her strange hands through the tangled mess of read atop her head. He watched with fascination as the strands parted and pulled at her fingers. Her green eyes shot towards him and broke his reverie, meeting them with his own.

Clearing his throat with an awkward cough he opened his mouth to say something but found it difficult to decide what words he would choose, or even if she would be able to understand. He checked his omni-tool quickly to break the eye contact boring into him.

"Do you understand me?" Was the best thing he could think of. The human's brow twitched but slowly the omni-tool sputtered out a clipped rendition of the question in her tongue. With a slightly startled look at the glowing orange light wrapped around his wrist, she nodded. Garrus tilted his head at the curious head bob.

She noticed his confusion and sputtered out a word.

A second later his omni replied with a "Yes."

A gentle hum emitted from his chest. There was a slight delay in the translation, but it was better than staring at each other like idiots. He held out his canteen to her.

"Water." He explained. After a moment she took it and slowly unscrewed the cap. He watched her dextrous fingers grip the top and twist, noting how each digit applied just the right amount of delicate pressure. Her lips created a seal around the spout as she drank, her throat moving as she gulped down the liquid. Every action was foreign and curious. He noted it all, soaking in the differences this human held, before he suddenly realized he was staring when she handed back the canteen.

A few more moments of awkward silence passed, but Garrus figured it was better than fists flying. He glanced up again to see the human in a similar situation of fidgeting and glancing. He had no idea what human greetings entailed, so he settled on telling her his name.

"Garrus Vakarian."

* * *

Sheperd

The sounds the Turian made were deep and guttural, tilting between harsh and clicking to gentle purrs from the throat that were almost comforting. He spoke slowly to her, drawing out each growl of a syllable as the strange mandibles clicked and juddered. It was like he had two voices, a lower flanging one accompanying the audible one. She was thankful for the translation, the artificial voice beeping out the words the Turian had said to her. When she nodded, he looked mildly confused and she realised that perhaps these aliens don't nod so she vocalised her understanding. He seemed pleased.

His awkward demeanour was odd, but she didn't feel threatened by his actions. When he offered her water everything fell into place. This alien had saved her. It had tended her wounds and carefully bandaged her up, lying her on a make-shift bed. A sudden pang of shame hit her. She felt bad for attacking him but it was basic instinct, she was a soldier after all. It made sense why she wasn't shot and was thankful for the Turians patience.

When the Turian spoke again, she looked at the translator and waited but only a beep sounded. The Turian looked at It and a growl came from his chest. He looked at the device and sighed.

"My name," He eventually said. Sheperd made an 'oh' movement with her lips and nodded again. He watched her, waiting for a response.

"Sheperd." She replied, holding out her hand hesitantly.

The Turian stared at her outstretched hand and tilted its head again. She pulled it back, realising how her human actions were not understood. The Turian repeated her name back to her in his growl of a voice. It made her shiver.

The silence cut in again as the pair sat opposite each other. Sheperd fidgeted until she released a sigh and looked up at the Turian named Garrus.

"Thank you," She said quietly, "For helping me."

Garrus looked at her as his eyes softened and he tilted his head forward, mandibles flicking once. Another sound came from him this time. She took it as acknowledgement. His facial expressions were few, but the slight movements and inclinations of his head coupled with the vibrations in his chest conveyed a vague sense of feeling to her.

"It was the right thing to do," Garrus said, "This war has inflicted too much damage for me to let any life suffer. Human or Turian."

Sheperd smiled and looked down at her hands. She nodded to herself in agreement.

"Were there any others?" She asked. He was staring at her face and her question broke his gaze.

"No. I only found you. My squad was killed and I came across you on my retreat."

"The wire…" She said faintly and a sharp growl of affirmation came from Garrus.

He turned his head away and made another growl, this one fainter and lower.

"The food you ate," He turned back towards her "They were Turian rations. That's why you were sick."

She let out a gentle laugh at the realisation and pressed her brow into her palm. When she looked up the Turian was staring at her again, but his eyes seemed a little wider this time.

"Explains why they tasted like shit then." She muttered under her breath but by the way Garrus' eyes narrowed she knew he had heard it. Sheperd had heard Turians had good hearing, but she'd have to test that rumour.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out some silver foil packages. Placing them on the ground before her. He then brought out more and set them opposite him. She noticed a slight difference in the packets, the ones nearest him being bigger and slightly different colour.

"Mine," He pointed to the packets before him, "Yours." He pointed at hers.

Sheperd nodded.

"What is that?" Garrus asked.

"What is what?"

"The movement your head makes when I ask you a question."

"It's called nodding," She explained, "Humans do it when we agree or understand or instead of saying yes." It struck her that explaining something as simple as nodding was odd. She expected that's he would get used to this feeling if hanging around with her new friendly Turian.

"Nodding." He repeated, the word sounding strange coming from him.

"And that?" He said, pointing to her hair. He seemed full of questions.

"Hair." She said, and he repeated it again.

Another silence stretched between them until Sheperd decided to ask him something that had been nibbling at her mind.

"What are you going to do with me?"

Garrus looked at her, his face impassive as always.

"I will find my squad, and hopefully get off this shithole of a moon."

"Yes, that's great for you. What about me? I have heard of what happens when Turian command takes prisoners."

He took a moment to answer.

"I don't know."


	8. Chapter 8

Shepard

Even when she tried, Shepard was not graced with sleep when night came. She managed to keep some rations down and drank plenty of water that Garrus gave her. It tasted stale, but was better than eventual dehydration.  
She was sat upright against the wall, staring at the blue flicker of the fuel burner in the centre of the room. She would regularly glance up at Garrus, who was also sleeping in fits and starts. He kept his rifle on his lap and fidgeted often, sometimes low grumbles would make their way to Shepard's ears.  
Her limbs ached and complained when she moved them, making her wince and grunt as she readjusted her position to face the small window where she could see through the gaps it was still raining. She shot another glance at the Turian to find a pair of icy blue eyes staring back.

"Can't sleep?" He grumbled.  
"No." She replied shortly.  
"I won't hurt you."  
"Then put your gun away."  
"I can't do that."  
"Then I can't sleep"  
Shepard stared at him blank faced and he did the same. She only just noticed his mandibles twitch in the dim light, giving away his emotions. If only she could understand Turian body language.

"We need to move tomorrow. You should rest." he said, breaking the eye contact to shift his position again, bringing a knee up.  
"Why take me with you?" She asked.  
"You could be useful."  
"The war is almost at an end Turian, I'm damaged goods."  
The Turian growled, slow and clicking.  
"What rank do you hold within your military?" He asked.  
Shepard narrowed her eyes as she watched him. She had to make a decision. Fast.  
"Commander." She replied in a clipped tone.  
As the translator beeped out the word the Turians eyes widened in a split second ad he regarded her.  
"Very well."

Shepard tilted her head back against the wall. She had just lied. Lied to a Turian! In a split second moment of self-preservation she had lied about her rank in hopes that come the morning she wouldn't be shot in the back. After all, it was a well-known fact that not many prisoners were taken but Turians, and only high ranking officers were considered 'useful'. She chewed her lip and sighed through her nose.

Garrus broke the silence  
"I'm going to hand you in to the Hierarchy when we reach my position," He said slowly. She didn't look at him. "You'll be held as a prisoner of war." She was still staring at the ceiling. When no reply came he grumbled and flexed out his shoulders, settling down.

Shepard pulled her knees up close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She closed her eyes but only feigned sleep. She had no time for that, she had to come up with a solid gold plan by morning.

* * *

Garrus

Garrus slept in short intervals, each time waking with a start and clutching his rifle. He would hastily glance at where the human was sitting, each time finding her quiet and detached, either with her eyes closed or staring at the ceiling above her. The concrete sheltering them dripped in places with steady rhythm that accompanied the low and constant din of rainfall, the air musty and stale and the light just bright enough to give away the mornings arrival. The fuel burner had gone out and the chill had invited itself back in, wet puffs of air showing the human was still breathing.

Garrus cracked his neck to the side and repositioned his grip on his rifle with stiff fingers. It took a tremendous amount of effort to stand, and he did so groaning, rolling his shoulders out and breathing deep. He looked down at the human with its eyes closed and studied her for a second, tilting his head as he regarded the strange wisps of hair that twitched on her brow. He nudged her with his foot and she woke with a jolt, staring up at him momentarily startled until she adjusted. He nodded once and went to the fuel burner, kneeling down and gently disassembling it before packing it away. He also gathered his rations and ammunition before turning back to the human.

"Time to go." He explained.  
She nodded and sat forward, reaching for the canteen beside her.  
"How far?" She asked.  
"About a mile. I need to get back to my vehicle to access the radio coms and contact my command. We will then make our way to their positions."  
She nodded and wiped her mouth, screwing the cap back onto the canteen.

She went to stand and suddenly cried out, making Garrus whirl around. She had doubled over and was shaking, baring her teeth and breathing sharply. He assumed that she had opened the wounds in her back and grunted, stepping towards her.

"You need more medi-gel," He said "It will help with the pain."  
"Medi-gel?" She asked between gasps. Garrus nodded.  
"It's damn good stuff, I don't understand why you humans don't have it."  
"Its illegal."  
"regardless, please take off your clothes."  
"It's freezing!" She protested.  
"I will be quick." He saw her hesitate and clutch at her parka. He rumbled softly in attempts to comfort her, then remembered that humans were not partial to nudity. "No need to be shy human," He said "It's nothing I haven't already seen."

Her brow lowered and her eyes narrowed, in a blatant display of aggression that shocked Garrus into a low growl as he changed his stance and grip on his rifle. She bared her teeth and his mandibles twitched in annoyance and anticipation, drawing close to his face.

"Fuck you Turian." She spat, shakily lifting herself onto one knee and slowly standing. She rose and met Garrus in the eye, brow still drawn in anger and aggression. She was slightly hunched over and he could see the twitches of pain about her eyes and mouth. She was clutching at her clothing defensively and regarding him with what he read as disgust.

Since he met this red human he was shocked with how unconcealed her emotions were, how she displayed so much upon her face. He knew that this was important to human culture and communication but it was still unsettling him and Garrus knew it would take a lot of time to get used to. However he knew he had breached some sort of human cultural barrier, and although he did not intent to offend he knew that dealing with this human was going to be difficult and wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into.

Since she told him she held the rank of commander, he had a sudden glimmer of hope that perhaps this whole endeavour was not going to be a waste of time and effort after all. If he could just get her back in one piece and hope she had some useful information, the benefits to both of them would be paramount. Surviving an ambush and bringing in tactical information could surely paint him in a good light, and then the hierarchy might start to notice him, and if he was lucky, prove to his father that joining the military was more beneficial that sitting behind a C-sec desk on the citadel. However, he was getting nowhere quickly at this rate.

He stepped back and straightened out, lowing his head so he regarded her under his brow.  
"I don't mean to offend," He explained slowly, "I just want to help." The simple admission seemed to make the human commander relax slightly as he watched the tension bleed from her shoulders and her face softened, but she still shook.  
"It's for you own good," He said, "It won't hurt."  
"I don't care about the pain." She snapped.  
But she slowly began to unzip the bulky parka that covered her frame. She turned away from him and kneeled, slowly lifting up several layers to reveal her back. She shook from cold and pain and clutched her parka to her chest. Garrus took a note of what the human concealed.  
"Hurry up." She said with a shiver.  
Garrus knelt behind her and got out the medi-gel. He wrinkled up his nose as he applied the ointment to the humans burnt back. She sighed in relief.  
"You stink." He said  
"Fuck you."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for slow and small updates, but i have been very busy. I wrote this chapter on a train out of London. I've been doing work as an extra for movie coming out in 2015, so if you happen to go and see 'Girls Night Out' next year, I'm jumping off a route master in Trafalgar Square :D**

**Anyway, thanks for all the wonderful reviews and favourites, it makes me really happy! I was told I was spelling Shepards name wrong (oops) so I've taken extra care to change it. I hope it didn't annoy anyone too much. When i have time, I'm going to go back through the chapter and bunch them together to make them longer, change any mistakes and other things but until then thanks for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy chapters even if they are a bit small. **


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